Observer Reviews

Observer is ranked in the 75th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
6.5 / 10.0
Aug 14, 2017
Observer Review | Brilliance Shrouded by Populism video thumbnail
6.5 / 10.0
Feb 7, 2019

You’ll play the game as Dan Lazarski, a sort of cyber-detective operating in a dystopian future world full of augmented humans...

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6.2 / 10.0
Oct 12, 2017

Observer is one of those games that not everyone can communicate with. If we ignore game-play issues, Observer is definitely worth experiencing once. Having said that, before you start the game, you need to know you’d better not compare it with other games with similar genre as you’ll get highly disappointed!

Review in Persian | Read full review

6 / 10.0
Aug 19, 2017

Observer is brilliant in dozens of ways, yet deeply flawed in just as many. The quality of its story ranges from a confusing mess to some of the best written characters of this generation. The game's biggest issue is its inconsistency on when and where to deliver its moments of horror. There was little to keep me going besides the next opportunity to speak to a troubled citizen of futuristic Krakow's most interesting building block.

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Aug 14, 2017

Whether or not you suffer from simulator sickness, Bloober Team's latest, Observer, will make you queasy.

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6 / 10.0
Aug 14, 2017

Observer feels like a step down from Layers of Fear. It's intriguing and mind-bending enough for sure with its atmosphere sure to creep out people. But the lead VA, annoying artefacts and some of the horror elements just don't click.

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6 / 10.0
Oct 18, 2017

A beautifully realised and often harrowing cyberpunk tale let down by repetition and gameplay which is both simple and frustrating in equal measure.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
6 / 10
Mar 2, 2019

Observer could have been more. It has style and exceptional art direction, a creative premise but flaccid and unimaginative gameplay. Maybe this comes with the territory when it comes to walking-sims or first-person adventure games, but there really is no excuse for the lack of imagination because much older games have found ways to keep things fresh while adventuring. There is very little attention to detail when it comes to interaction and player-choice. Observer should have been like playing a pacifist run on the original Deus Ex.

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2.5 / 5.0
Aug 24, 2017

While gameplay might not break any new ground, puzzles and crime scenes provide enough interaction to keep you engaged beyond just watching the story unfold. The way in which the Observer uses implants as a means to explore memories is inventive, giving the narrative a grander sense of scale without technically leaving the building.

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50 / 100
Feb 25, 2019

Observer is a good title. Good story, a solid core, and a great setting. Simply, if you can play anywhere else, the experience will be more satisfying than on Switch.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

5 / 10.0
Mar 20, 2024

All told, Observer showcases the quintessential cyberpunk world, offering a bleak glance at a future that oozes distrust, oil, and injustice from every pore. The visuals, even on the Switch, are impressive, and portray a world so dingy that it’s borderline uncomfortable. Creeping through the jumbled mind of Dan Lazarski (Hauer) is oftentimes legitimately troubling, but despite the effective styling and a well written score, the experience is severely hampered by sluggish controls, unclear storytelling and an almost complete lack of gameplay.

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45 / 100
Aug 23, 2017

Brainhacking will blow your mind, but you'll want to get the cop out of your head by the end.

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3 / 10
Aug 21, 2017

Observer is rough. Some neat narrative beats and a beautifully presented cyberpunk world paired with an exceptional performance from Rutger Hauer end up being the only redeeming qualities present in this title. This is a game that, despite being short, feels overlong, due in part to some tedious and obnoxious gameplay segments, and some of the least subtle “horror” we've encountered in recent memory. Throw in a bevy of technical problems and a third act that is complete nonsense, and Observer is, at best, a bit of a mess. To call this game a letdown would be an understatement.

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ACG
Top Critic
Buy
Aug 16, 2017
Observer Review "Buy, Wait for Sale, Rent, Never Touch?" video thumbnail
Recommended
Aug 18, 2017

A splendid hybrid of CSI, cyberpunk and Silent Hill woven around a potent central performance, spoiled a bit by unconvincing scare tactics.

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Unscored
Aug 18, 2017

It's the Cronenbergian cyberpunk game I never knew I wanted, and it's shot right into my top ten of the year so far.

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Unscored
Aug 18, 2017

Observer is a good game. It lasts between 6 and 8 hours that will surely be short given the low difficulty, but we recommend to play it.

Review in Spanish | Read full review